NEW DELHI: A Malaysian man was arrested at Chennai International Airport on Saturday after attempting to smuggle diamonds worth 22.5 million rupees (RM1.34 million) into India.
Officials of India’s Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) questioned the 48-year-old man after he arrived from Kuala Lumpur, and recovered many bundles of diamonds from his luggage.
They acted on a tip-off that precious stones were likely to be smuggled from Malaysia, the AIU said in a statement.
Two white packets were found in his inner wear and eight inside a cooker in his checked-in luggage.
The 10 bundles contained 55 white mini ziplock packets in which the diamonds were hidden.
Indian police are further investigating the matter, Malaysian’s Consul-General in Chennai, Saravanan Karathihayan told Bernama on Sunday.
The passenger told Indian customs authorities that he was supposed to deliver the diamonds to a person outside the airport.
However, no one turned up to collect the consignment when he was taken outside the airport and watched by police from a distance. – Bernama